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The Bottom Line
Although it's true that the N64 is, to this day, severely lacking in quite
a few genres (RPG's most notably), there's definitely a scant few quality racing
games for Nintendo's ailing console. Titles like Nintendo's own Cruis N' USA
and Midway's World Driver Championship simply can't measure up to masterpieces
such as Polphony Digital's Gran Turismo and EA's Need For Speed III, both PlayStation
titles. Titus, obviously aware of the lack of quality N64 racers, has recently
released their own N64 racing title. Roadsters is an amalgamation of a traditional
style racing title and one, such as Mario Kart 64, that has a heavy emphasis on
amusing characters. Although Roadsters isn't of the same caliber as Gran Turismo,
it is right up there with Beetle Adventure Racing as the best racing game currently
available for the N64. With a host of amusing characters, a sizable selection of
vehicles, multiple modes of play, variable weather, upgradeable vehicles, and
superb graphics (due to the game's Expansion Pak support), Roadsters is an above
average racing title sure to please fans of racing games. However, at $59.95 it
falls just a tad short of being worth full price.
A Closer Look
Ever since the days of Pole Position, racing games have been incredibly popular.
Unlike some other genres, whose popularity wanes, gamers everywhere can't seem to
get enough racing. In the current market, a solid lineup of racing titles is a
critical component to any console's success. Although successful in North America,
the N64 has managed to achieve its current level of success without anything near
what amounts to an adequate selection of racing games. Enter Titus and their racer
Roadsters to attempt to fill the void somewhat.
Graphically, Roadsters is definitely a step above the usual N64 fare. Due to
the fact that it has Expansion Pak support, there is a minimal amount of pop up,
and the ever-present blurry textures that are so prevalent in N64 titles are
thankfully minimal as well. Those two factors contribute greatly to the relatively
polished and smooth graphics present throughout the game. Now, this isn't to say
there's absolutely no pop up and no blurry textures, but what little pop up there
is isn't very detectable and the blurry texture are few and far between. You'd have
to really concentrate to notice either. As far as the stages go, they range from
snow laden Ski Resort stage, to the tropical island like Rocket Base stage, to the
Tudor Village stage which is very reminiscent of what you'd imagine an old village
in England might look like. The weather effects that accompany the various stages
are done quite well, although the lighting in many of the stages just isn't quite
right. The Tudor Village stage especially is a lot darker than it should be.
Roadster's music and sound effects are essentially a mixed bag. On the plus
side, the assorted sounds such as the screeching tires when you peel out and the
increase in engine noise as your speed increases sound as they should. Even the
various character utterances, which I'll address a little further on in this very
review, come across crisp and clean and perfectly understandable. On the minus
side, the music is just too reminiscent of the kind of soft rock most of us
would like to forget. Lots of treble guitar played at too high a pitch and too
fast a speed. It's not so bad you'd want to turn the volume down, but it's about
as forgettable as game music can be.
A total of five different modes are available from the start, and they include
Roadster Trophy, Multiplayer, Quick Race, Time Trial, and Options. With the exception
of the Roadster Trophy mode, the other modes are standard fare in racing games of all
kinds. There are some subtle nuances of course, but none significant enough to merit
any mention. The Roadster Trophy mode contains three different leagues, and each
league corresponds to a different category with three categories in all. Category C
contains cars with less than 250 horsepower, category B had cars with horsepower of
between 250 and 350, and category A has cars are all over 350 horsepower. Initially,
the category C cars will be the ones available to you, but as you progress through
the Roadster Trophy mode you'll unlock the other two categories. League 3 races are
run using category C cars, League 2 races are run using category B cars, and League
1 is run using category A cars. You have to start racing in League 3 and beat that
league before League 2 is available. Then, as you might expect, you'll have to defeat
League 2 in order to be able to race in League 1. When you start in Roadster Trophy
mode you've got $45,000, and $20,000 of that is accounted for immediately in the form
of an entrance fee. So, you've got to find the best car you can among the initially
available cars that costs $25,000 or less and hope it's good enough to get you through
League 3 and onto League 2 with a little extra cash. You can use any cash you accumulate
to upgrade your existing car in addition to purchasing an entirely new car and you win
money at the end of each race based on your finishing position. Ideally you'll want to
have enough money to upgrade your car or to buy another car, but you have to have enough
to pay the entrance fee for the subsequent league at the very least. If you find that,
at the end of any give league, that you don't have enough money to pay the entrance fee
for the following league the game ends and you've got to start all over again.
As mentioned in the opening paragraph, Roadsters is an amalgamation of a traditional
style racing title and one, such as Mario Kart 64, that has a heavy emphasis on amusing
characters. A total of eight characters will be available to you including the evil
scientist Mr. Slim and the surfer Billy among others. Each character is very distinct,
and that distinction goes beyond mere appearance. As you race around the various tracks,
the character you've opted to race with will say different things depending on what's
going on. For example, if you spin out while driving with Billy he'll exclaim, "Major
downer dude!" Similarly, if you're racing with Mr. Slim and you happen to approach
another driver he'll say, "Out of my way!" in his creaky, mad scientist voice. Albeit
quite cheesy, the characters and their various personalities give the game a little
more flair and ambiance than it would have otherwise. The super realistic physics model
and control found in titles such as Gran Turismo are nowhere to be found in Roadsters.
This game is an arcade racer through and through. The control is very loose and lends
itself well to beginners and racing veterans alike. The thirty plus cars, each different
from the other, offer something for novices and experts.
All in all, Roadsters is a breath of fresh air for N64 owners clamoring for a good
racing game. The Expansion Pak support, multitude of characters and cars, interesting
locales, and intuitive control among other things give Roadsters a certain appeal heretofore
unseen in an N64 racer. As good as Roadsters is though, it falls just short of being worth
full price. However, if you can find it on sale or used it's a great buy and will likely
give you many hours of enjoyment.
Graphics:
+Smooth animation
+High framerate
+Expansion Pak support
+Minimal pop up
+Very few blurry textures
+Interesting and colorful stages
-Awkward lighting on several stages
Sound:
+Crisp, clear sound effects add to the game's atmosphere
-80's-esque upbeat soft rock music isn't atrocious, but is positively forgettable
Gameplay:
+Loose, arcade style control makes the game easy to play right off the bat
Replay Value:
+Four different modes, including a multiplayer mode, should keep most occupied for a while
+In excess of thirty vehicles
+Ten interesting tracks that differ quite a bit from each other
Overall:
Graphics: B+
Sound: B-
Gameplay: A-
Replay Value: B+
Overall: B+
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